


Another Day, Another Delivery

by zorotokon



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Background Relationship, Father Figure, Gen, Pies, real talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-02
Updated: 2017-11-02
Packaged: 2019-01-28 15:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12610184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zorotokon/pseuds/zorotokon
Summary: Gideon has been working with the Hopps family farm for years now, but today he seems a little down when he shows up early. Stu takes the poor fox under his wing for some quality business partner/surrogate father figure time.





	Another Day, Another Delivery

“Is he here?”

“Quit shoving!”

“Let me see, let me see!”

“Are you sure it’s not just the mailmammal again?”

“You said you’d let me see this time!”

“It’s him! It’s hiiiim!”

The little blue van puttered up the lane to the Hopps Family Farm with a plodding determination that mirrored the driver perfectly. It slowed to a halt about fifty meters from the door, and announced its already well-known presences with a honk. Immediately the house burst open and a swarm of young rabbits rushed out to surround the van, forming a vast sea of pivoting ears and twitching noses, all eagerly awaiting the arrival of their daily sweet delivery.

The driver rolled down the window and stuck his large orange head out, “Iris, you’re going to have to move if you don’t want me to bop you a good one with the door.” The child in question pulled her sisters and brothers back, giving the fox just enough room to swing down. He landed in a cloud of dust, and the children cheered as he waved.

“Gideon!” Somebun shouted, “I love you!”

“Kids, give him some room or he’ll never get anything out.” A matronly looking rabbit in a pastel pink sleeveless shirt and jeans had come out with the flood. “You’ll all get a taste, but only if you’re patient,” she chided. “Gideon, I didn’t expect you to later- stop pulling on my shirt, Clyde- are you in a rush today?”

“No ma’am,” the fox replied, carefully stepping over and between the bunnies, a thousand eyes follwed his trek to the back of the van, “just had some free time so I came out a little early, with a couple extra samples.” He gave an exaggerated wink to the crowd, who broke into jubilations: bouncing in the air, or screaming with delight at the thought of the soon to be had delights.

“Oh, Gideon, thank you,” Bonnie placed a paw upon her heart as she spoke, “You’ve always gone above and beyond for us, but you really don’t have to go out of your way like this.”

“’S no trouble, ma’am,” Gideon slowly opened the back of his van, a hundred noses followed it, each desperate to catch even a whiff of that heavenly scent. “It’s just being neighborly.”

“Julie, Edward, and Colton, go help Gideon get this into the kitchen,” Bonnie pointed to the three oldest children present, each in turn puffing their chest out in pride at having been selected for the scared duty of Pie Carrying. She then scooped up one of her youngest, tickling him with her nose, “Lord knows they wouldn’t last a minute within the reach of these terrors.”

The pies were carried in solemn procession, each carefully guarded from the legion of hungry mouths swarming around the bearers. Gideon chuckled at the sight of the three young rabbits walking with stiff backs and serious faces. “You enjoy those now, and tell me what you think of ‘em for the shop.”

He took a step towards his van before turning around suddenly and calling out to Bonnie, “Oh, Mrs. Hopps, do you know where Stu is?”

“He’s out in field twenty-three, dear,” she replied as she ushered her brood back inside.

Gideon turned with a nod and drove off. True, the adulation of the children was appreciated, but he could have served them sugar on a plate and they’d give it the thumbs up. No, he needed a more refined palette to ensure his business decisions. Bonnie was a good start, but had too kind a heart. Which left only Stu, but Gideon could always count on the taste and business acumen of the Hopps patriarch.

Soon enough, Gideon spotted the stout bunny’s form in the third field over, and it was nary a minute before the van putt-putted it’s way over to him.

“Afternoon, Gideon,” Stu commented out of the side of his mouth. His concentration was on a small hole in front of him, and he frowned at it, lost in thought. Next to him lay a pile of excavating tools, and a rolled-up blueprint.

“Afternoon, Mr. Hopps,” Gideon replied, sliding down from his seat to retrieve the last pie. “Brought you a taste test.” The rabbit didn’t stir, instead his brow furrowed more. “Was hoping to get your opinion on it, if now is a good time.”

“Hmm? Oh! Yes, sorry, sorry, just put it down by the tractor.” Stu’s concentration broke as the scent of the pie hit him. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his back, eyes closed tight as he stretched out his body from the morning’s work. He twisted his neck this way and that before finally meeting Gideon’s gaze. “Guess I could use a break. Something on your mind?”

“No, sir,” answered Gideon, almost as soon as Stu’s question had been asked, “it’s just been, mmm.” He stopped, taking the opportunity to turn away from Stu to place the pie down in the shadow of the big green tractor. “It’s not important.”

Stu had to stand on his tiptoes to pat Gideon on the shoulder, but he did it anyway. “Something wrong?”

“I-I, don’t think this is a proper discussion for busin-”

“Gideon, I’m not just your business partner, I’m your friend. If something’s up, you can’t keep it bottled up. It’s bad for you.”

“I,” Gideon took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, “yeah, you got me.”

Stu sat on the step of the tractor, and patted the area next to him. Gideon took it, careful to position the pie at their feet. “It’s,” Gideon began to speak, but cut himself off, puffing his cheeks up with air before dropping his head.

“If it’s money, you know that we’re here-”

“It’s not money, thank you all the same, but,” Gideon interrupted the older rabbit. The fox leaned back against the tractor’s large green door, and let his gaze fly across the fields of carrots to the farmhouse, which was more of a large shack covering a huge network of tunnels and basements where the Hopps family actually lived. “How’d you do it?” He finally asked.

“Do what?”

Gideon gestured to the house, “You and Bonnie been together for, how long, thirty years now?” The fox let his arm fall. “Me and Travis can’t even make it work for nine months before we’re at each other’s throats.”

“I thought you preds thought going for the throat was sexy- I’m joking! It was a joke,” Stu added at the face Gideon pulled. The rabbit then folded his arm and considered the question. True, his relationship with his wife had lasted through the years, and he could say that he genuinely loved her, but he also wouldn’t describe it as a storybook romance. “Well, Gideon, you’ve already got something on us, you aren’t just in it for the business with Travis.”

Gideon responded with a grunt. Stu changed tactics.

“Well, maybe you should consider that a break might be good for the relationship, lord knows me and Bonnie have had our share of fights that, and I can tell you that not even one of them wasn’t just us getting on each other’s nerves, nothing more.” Stu shrugged, “And only time will let cool heads prevail.”

“That’s some awful considerate advice from you, Mr. Hopps-”

“Gideon, I said call me Stu.”

“S-Stu,” Gideon tried out the word in his mouth, unsure of whether he liked it. “Well, you see, our problem is a bit more, well, personal.”

“Which one of you can’t get it up?”

“Mr. Hopps!”

“Dangit Gid, I said call me Stu, and I was ribbing yah.” Stu poked the fox in the ribs for literal emphasis, before casting a suspicious look his way. “Don’t tell me it’s actually the old ED devil come to play?”

“N-no sir,” Gideon sputtered, “It’s just, that,” Gideon paused, unsure of how, or if he wanted to elaborate.

Stu nodded, letting the fox think out his words. He scooped up the pie and pulled off the white and blue checkered cloth keeping it hot. He practically shoved it up his nose as he took a big whiff of the fruity scent. “Is this blueberry and apples? Whatever will you think of next?”

“Thanks, Stu,” mumbled Gideon as the rabbit scooped out a pawful.

“Mmmm, mmm, delicious, Gid, just like always,” Stu sucked each of his fingers clean with a pop, before holding out the pie to the fox, who waved it away.

 _If pie doesn’t make Gideon feel better, he is in serious trouble,_ thought Stu. Gideon was a man of surprising depth, but he also ate his feelings religiously, had since he was a child.

“So, trouble at home?” He prompted.

“It’s just, Travis just tries so hard, and I feel like-”

“Like you just aren’t worth the effort?” Stu finished while Gideon searched for words. The fox nodded. “Hmm, a difficult one alright. You try too though.”

“Of course I do Mr- Stu, but it just ain’t enough.”

“When was the last time you two went out on a date night? A real fancy one, where you prep all day and don’t worry about the cost or the kids for once?”

“We don’t have kids, Stu, but,” Gideon worked his teeth with his tongue a little to cover up how hard he had to concentrate when doing simple arithmetic. “It’s been awhile.”

“You know how they say that an animal doesn’t change just ‘cause you married them?”

Gideon nodded again.

“Well, your relationship doesn’t change just because you married someone either. The day to day stuff, yeah, and it gets more comfortable with time, but, if you two liked going into town when you were dating, it just don’t make sense that you’d stop when you’re married.”

“Hate town,” muttered Gideon.

“That was an example, where was your first kiss?” Stu put a calming paw on Gideon’s back as he talked, something he had learned from his dad when he was a kid.

Gideon reddened at the question, “Fishing hole. Summer of ’06.”

Stu’s eyebrows shot up. “You guys were, what? Twelve?”

“I was twelve, Travis was thirteen.”

“That’s a long romance you got there.”

“We were kids, we didn’t think nothing of it. I just wanted to practice kissing, and Travis was always just going along with what I said,” Gideon’s face cracked into a smile, “he was right nervous that time though, fell into the pond first time I asked.”

“Sounds like Travis knew a little more about himself than you did back then.”

Gideon was lost to the world, “but then he went off the College, and I went to Juvie, and when he came back, it was just…”

Stu waited for the fox to finish reminiscing. Gideon wrung his paws before him, then blinked, and sighed. “So, what should I do?”

“You have to remember that he chose you,” Stu said, “he came back, and he chose you.”

“Mmm.”

“Don’t ‘mmm’ me, boy.” Stu punched the fox in the arm. When he didn’t reply he hit him again.

“Ow!” Gideon pushed Stu back and rubbed his arm, “What was that for?”

“You’re a good man, Gideon, and if you don’t think that you deserve Travis, you have to make yourself into a man that does deserve someone with a fancy medical degree.” Stu scooped up the pie and offered it to Gideon, “this is a good base, but it needs something sharp to go with it. Pair it with French vanilla ice cream or a hit of something with bite.”

Gideon glared at Stu for just a moment before standing, and accepting the pie from him. “Thank you, Stu, I think I needed that.”

Stu slapped him on the back, “anytime, Gid.”

Gideon returned the slap, and Stu stumbled, dropping the pie. “Oh, Mr. Hopps, I am so sor-“

“Ha ha,” Stu wiped blueberry and apple from his jeans, before cleaning his paws on the grass. “Now, Gid, maybe you can help me with something too.”

Gideon nodded, and followed Stu back to the hole he had been staring at so intensively when he had driven up. The rabbit tossed a shovel to the fox and scooped one up himself before starting right in expanding the hole.

“What we digging?” Gideon asked as he worked at dislodging a large rock.

“New entrance for the house, Jared wants his own because he’s a teenager.” Stu propped himself up on the shovel and wiped his brow. “Which reminds me, you see that Bobby-Sue around town you tell her that I know what she’s been up to with my daughter, and I don’t mind. But if Bonnie sees any more trampled petunias outside Jackie’s window they’ll be hell to pay.”

Gideon chuckled and grunted in effort as he finally pulled the boulder from the ground.


End file.
